“Our office is committed to fighting opioid abuse, and we are pleased to once again join this national effort to help rid our state of unwanted prescriptions and unused over-the-counter medication,” Morrisey said in a statement. “Safely disposing of medication is an important way that we can keep drugs out of the wrong hands.”
The Capitol site will be one of more than 100 collection locations in the state. The Attorney General’s office has participated in the event each year since 2013.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration spearheads the Drug Take-Back Day, which was initially launched in 2010. During the event, local and state law enforcement agencies collect unused medication and responsibly dispose of it. The DEA typically hosts two prescription drug take-back days per year with one in the spring and one in the fall.
In October, Morrisey's office and the Public Health Trust awarded the Parkersburg Police Department with a prescription drug incinerator grant, as well as the Huntington Police Department in Cabell County, the Boone County Sheriff’s Office in Madison and the Star City Police Department in Monongalia County. The incinerators will be used to destroy unwanted/expired pills and are shared among law enforcement agencies.
Morrisey and his partners received the grant applications through the Dispose Responsibly of Prescriptions (DRoP) initiative, which already has distributed drug disposal drop boxes throughout the state.
DRoP boxes are currently located at the Boone County Sherriff’s Office, Ceredo Police Department, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Mullens Police Department, Nicholas County Sheriff’s Office, Paden City Police Department, Pleasants County Sheriff’s Office, Roane County Sheriff’s Office and the Shepherdstown Police Department.